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COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES

Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams joined with Council of Peoples Organizations (COPO), the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), faith leaders, and community advocates representing diverse communities throughout the city to demand the City’s outreach regarding the COVID-19 pandemic reflect the diversity of New York, taking into account those who do not access traditional forms of media, those whose first language is not English, and others.

Borough President Adams and participants called on the City to invest a portion of its outreach funding in ethnic media outlets serving communities throughout the city. They also urged the City to make its real-time updates via NotifyNYC available in languages other than Spanish and English, to ensure all New Yorkers are being reached during this unprecedented public health emergency.

“We can’t communicate with people where we want them to be, we have to communicate with them where they are,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “As I speak with people throughout the five boroughs, I am continually struck by how frequently crucial information about the COVID-19 pandemic is not reaching certain communities. We have to ensure that our outreach is available to all New Yorkers. That’s why we are calling on the City to broaden its outreach, offering updates on the spread of the virus and basic tips on how to keep people and their loved ones safe in a variety of different languages, and engaging ethnic media as partners in this effort to keep everyone informed. We will beat this virus only by coming together. Our diversity is our strength, and it is needed more than ever at this challenging time.”

“In times of such uncertainty, it is imperative that together, we remain united. Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has assured ethnic communities across New York City that they will be recognized during this crisis. In solidarity, we will reach out to these communities by supporting ethnic media and outreach, as well as recognizing the diverse languages throughout our city. We will continually work together to support all communities impacted by COVID-19, and we forever remain dedicated to making Brooklyn strong,” said Mohammad Razvi, Chief Executive Officer of COPO.

“The Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation would like to thank all the first responders and essential workers across the city for showing great strength and courage during this pandemic. We acknowledge your fear while admiring your selflessness and commitment to keeping our community safe while doing your best to help those who fall victim to the COVID-19 virus. We ask that our communities do their part by practicing social distancing and not leaving their homes if they can avoid doing so. We must protect one another by following the conditions put in place to keep all of us safe. In efforts to ensure individuals internalize the severity of this pandemic, we must have information disseminated throughout ALL communities in all languages. NYC is a diverse community and English is not always the first language. We must provide information that can be read and comprehended by ALL,” said Xenia Barnes, Chief Communication Officer of the Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation.

“These days I am working so hard as volunteer to ensure that people who don’t speak English in our community understand in the law, directions, and how to get support if they need. It works well, but I think it is not enough to reach more people with different ethnicities and language. New York is a city made up of multiple languages and ethnicity. And NOW, we need the ethnic media so New Yorkers get the proper information about COVID-19, along with the support they need, especially in this time,” said Yasmeen Atef, President of the Yemeni Women’s Association of the United States of America.

“During this pandemic, we must stay safe, but we must also make sure that all our communities are taken into account. I was proud to join Borough President Adams today to send the message that we all must get the support and information we deserve,” said Anthony Beckford, Flatbush and East Flatbush Community Advocate.

“I don’t think it’s wise to be bringing a lot of people to one location to vote,” Cuomo, a Democrat, said Saturday during a news conference. He also extended the state’s tax filing deadline to July 15.

Over 52,000 people have been confirmed to have Covid-19 across New York, Cuomo said. The state has tested a total of 155, 934 people.

The US surpassed Italy and China this week to become the country with the most coronavirus cases in the world with more than 102,963 known cases, according to CNN’s tally. At least 1,590 people have died in the US, with at least 402 of those deaths reported on Friday alone.